Still drinking bottle at 4: how bad is it?

I have a confession to make. My boys are 4 now, and they still drink milk from a bottle every morning. I have tried
cups and the boys are not reluctant. The problem is that they can drink 300ml of milk from the bottle, and not even a
third of that from a cup. And as a mother of premature babies who used to keep a detailed journal about
"who ate how much at what time," I have to admit it upsets me that they may not get enough.

Sean and Will each have a bottle in the morning. I have always thought that it was important that they drink a
lot of milk, but I have read lately that continuous bottle-feeds affect teeth alignment and that kids can also
develop cavities. I want to set a new morning routine and have my kids drink milk from a cup, but how can I make
the transition without stressing about it?

If they're eating a lot of other dairy (cheeses, yoghurts, etc.), I wouldn't worry too much about them not getting the same amount of milk they're used to. Perhaps write a food log for a few days to see just how much dairy they're getting in total and you won't feel bad if they reject the cups for the first few weeks.

How about getting the boys some cool cups with wide straws? I always drink more and faster through a straw. Also, why not try making them smoothies? My niece, who hates anything healthy will suck down a smoothie made with OJ or milk and frozen fruit. And there's nothing wrong with lowfat chocolate milk!

They make those "sippy" cups with a straw in dora, SpongeBob, you name the character they've got it! Jerrett also like to drink from kid's sports bottles and "sippy's" that look like animals. Also, try adding a fun straw to their cups.

Why do you want your kids to drink 10 ounces of milk every morning? 3-4 ounces would be an adequate serving of milk in the morning or even none at all. I limit my son's intake of dairy to 4 servings a day (and a serving is equal to 4 ounces of milk or yogurt or 1 ounce of cheese) because excessive milk consumption can inhibit the absorption of iron and decrease the amount of more nutrient rich foods eaten during the day.

Anyhoo, if they take a 1/2 of that they usually do when they drink out of a cup and eat an otherwise varied diet, I don't think it is a problem. Just my .02!

You should try the nuby cups It worked for my son. The tops are soft like a nipple so It still seems like a bottle to them without hurting there teeth I couldn't find a direct website but you can copy and past this one www.netkidswear.com/12oznunogrcu.html

I'm going to add my voice to the many recommendations of cups with straws. Toss those bottles and get the boys used to seeing cups. They will drink enough because when they are finished they are finished.

How to make the transition without stressing? Easy. Don't stress, period. You simply toss the bottles, pour milk into the new cups and set them out on the table when it's "milk time". If you don't make a big issue out of this change, they shouldn't either.

I second the tossing the bottles and just offering cups. When I weaned my son from the bottle he would get beginner cups during the day for his juice, milk, water and then one bottle at night. After a few days of seeing how much easier it was to drink from the cup he tossed the bottle.

I used the "bottle fairy" to wean my 3 yo off her bottle. The Bottle Fairy is much like the Tooth Fairy in that she both takes and gives. We had a special basket designated for the bottles and when Diva Girl was ready, she put all the bottles in there and "called" the Bottle Fairy to come get them. That night the Bottle Fairy took the basket away to deliver to a baby who needed it, and left a toy as a thank you.

You should not worry too much about the amount of milk your boys drink. I've worked in pediatrics for 12 years and most kids drink far more milk that they should which can cause anemia. Talk to your pediatrician about how much milk your sons should drink. Kids really only need 3 servings of dairy a day and there are so many ways to get calcium besides milk. My son is allergic to milk and he does not like soy milk but he eats yogurt and cheese every day. I round off his calcium intake with 4 ounces of calcium fortified juice every morning.

You mentioned being Mom to preemies...perhaps preemie anxiety is carrying over? and the stress in making changes may be more Mom's? At 4 yo, the boys are getting nutrients from their food and not reliant on milk as their sole food source. If they haven't already visited a dentist, I would suggest you do so and also talk to your pediatrician about their dietary needs. Once you know the facts, perhaps you will be more comfortable making change with bottles vs cups. Change sometimes isn't easy but as kids grow, we have to adapt to their changing needs! Good luck!

Thanks for posting this, whatever you decide! My girls are nearly 3 and are still bottle-addicted and pacifier-addicted. Interestingly, the twin who is better at drinking from cups and straws is much more strongly attached to her pacifier.

They're both going to need braces for horrible malocclusion anyway, I figure....

My daughter was 3.5 still NEEDing a milk bottle at bed time. I used the bottle Fairy excuse as well, with no warning just a note saying a new baby was born and needed the baby bottle, congratulations on being a Big girl now. Love, The Bottle Fairy She accepted this and was very proud to tell her daddy that she was big girl now. Whew!! Well then we learned about the Tooth Fairy shorty after and visit the dentist regularly now and he asked if she sucked her thumb No being the answer probably seeing something with structure. And now her adult front teeth have grown in they have white splotches on them . The dentist said it could have a million different causes , very common will eventually go away, my heart tells me it is those darn milk bottles and my chicken parenting...

Just stand stong, and take the bottles away! If your boys are capable of drinking from a cup, there is no need for a bottle. Sure they will be unhappy initially at the change in routine, but don't make a big deal and it should pass. Our son was a bit 'out of sorts' the weekend we stopped the bottle, but he never really looked back.

We didn't use it, but I heard great things about the 'fairy' approach!

If I remember right-it doesn't matter that your boys were preemies. Assuming they are free of any delays-they are now caught up to other 4 yo boys. Actually Drs. say that by 2 yo the preemies are developing normally, however I tend to find that it is more by 3yo. You really should try to find someway to get rid of the bottles.

I was 6 before it was taken away from me.. it was a comfort thing, not a need but in some ways I'm glad it wasn't a forced takeaway. So many worse things could happen than having a bottle. If they don't have it dripping in their mouth all night it won't cause cavities. My son is almost 3 and takes a bottle at naptime and bedtime but he voluntarily puts it aside when he's ready to sleep.

Why do you think they should have dairy? Is it calcium? Because that can be gotten from a number of other (better) sources, such as broccoli, chickpeas, and dark lettuce (but not, apparently, spinach). Milk is actually a poor source of calcium, as seen by the fact that the countries that drink the most milk tend to also have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

I know several parents that agonize over the fact that their kids still drink from a bottle or have a pacifier or watch too much television. Thank you for being one of the few, the honest, that will step up and tell it like it is.

Get rid of the bottles. There is no reason for a 4 year old, 3 year old, or even a 2 year old to still be sucking on a bottle, or pacifier. The crude honest truth is that the child doesn't NEED the bottle. He WANTS the bottle. Mother's have to be the decision makers not the children. Are they still wearing diapers too? I think it's more of a convenience to let them have the bottle than to listen to them whine when they don't get their way.

I don't know of any Pre School that will allow 3 or 4 year old children attend while still taking the bottle.

Get a grip and take responsibility for your actions. Don't blame it on the kids. It's your fault.